204 THE TRUE GRASSES. 



Species nine, in Brazil, Paraguay, and Peru. 



296. (282) Chusquea Kunth (jRettbergia Eaddi, Den- 

 dragrostis Nees). Spikelets with four empty glumes, the 

 lowest small and narrow, the upper like the flowering 

 glume, the latter broad and awnless ; rachilla not pro- 

 longed ; styles two. Small-leaved, tall shrubby or climb- 

 ing plants with terminal panicles. 



Species thirty-five, all American ; especially charac- 

 teristic plants of the higher regions of the Andes and 

 the Brazilian highlands from Mexico to South Chili, 

 as far as Chiloe. 



297. (283) Planotia Munro (Platonia Kunth non 

 Mart.). Panicles very long and narrow, with small, very 

 numerous spikelets having the same structure as those 

 of Chusquea, but the habit of the plant is rather that of 

 the Festucece, with herbaceous, almost leafless culms, and 

 leaves crowded together close to the ground. The very 

 long and often broad leaves are usually continuous (not 

 articulate) with the sheaths. 



Species five, in tropical South America, especially in 

 Colombia. P. nobilis Munro has the largest leaves 

 (1.5-4.5 m. long by 8-30 cm. broad) of any grass ; pani- 

 cles over 1 m. long. Characteristic species upon the 

 Paramos of Eiuz. [" Paramo" is the name applied to 

 the elevated plains of Colombia, etc.] 



SUB-TRIBE B. Eubambuseae. 

 Stamens six; caryopsis with a delicate pericarp. 



298. (284) Nastus Juss. (Stemmatospermum Beauv.). 

 Spikelets with 6-10 empty glumes which gradually 

 increase in size and become above like the flowering 

 glumes ; rachilla prolonged beyond the flowers ; flower- 

 ing glumes coriaceous ; ovary naked ; styles 2-3, more 

 or less grown together. Tall shrubs with branches ap- 

 parently in whorls. Panicle short, upright, or contracted 

 into a head and few-flowered. 



Species two or three, upon the Mascarene Islands. 

 JV. Borbonicus Gmel. forms a sharply limited wooded 

 zone on Keunion Island, between 950 and 1300 m. above 



